Game Preview: Checkers at Cleveland (Dec. 28, 2019)

The Checkers head out to Cleveland for the final two games of 2019. Here's everything you need to know before puck drop.

1. BACK TO WORK

The Checkers return to action this weekend after a quick break from the holidays, when they’ll resume play on the road as they have in each of their nine AHL seasons thus far. They are 5-3-1 all time in their first games after Christmas, though they haven’t recorded a win since the 2016-17 campaign.

2. GAINING GROUND

Charlotte’s most recent home stand was a big one as the team went 4-2-0 against three tough opponents. The Checkers have now won three of their last four contests and six of their last nine, pushing them more into the thick of the Atlantic Division race.

3. SCORING SURGE

The Checkers have seen their offense come to life as of late. They have scored at least four goals in four of the last five contests and at least three in seven of the last nine. The Checkers have been at their best when the offense has been clicking, registering a 12-2-2 record when scoring at least three goals in a game, compared to a 2-11-1 record when falling below that threshold.

4. ROAD WARRIORS

The Checkers have had a string of good luck away from home over the last month. They have won three of their last four road contests and have earned at least a point in four of the last five. They’ll be going up against a Cleveland squad that is 7-7-0 at home this season, the second-fewest home wins in the Eastern Conference.

5. LAST TIME AROUND

The Checkers and Monsters have already faced each other four times this season, two at home and two on the road. Cleveland has had the upper hand thus far, winning three of those four meetings, including both on their home rink. The Checkers are coming off of a strong 5-2 victory in the last matchup a month ago, however.

6. SCOUTING THE MONSTERS

Despite sitting at the same record as Charlotte, Cleveland heads into the weekend slumping toward the bottom of the North division, posting a 3-6-1 in its last 10 games. The Monsters’ offense ranks in the bottom third of the AHL, though they have plenty of potential firepower with the likes of Adam Clendening, Stefan Matteau and leading scorer Nathan Gerbe – though the veteran Gerbe is currently on recall with Columbus.

Their best aspect has been on the other side of things, however, as their team defense ranks near the top of the AHL. Matiss Kivlenieks and Veini Vehvilainen have split time between the pipes, with the latter recording a team-leading seven wins but the latter posting a staggering 2.08 goals-against average that ranks among the league’s best.

7. BLUE LINE PRODUCTION

A big chunk of Charlotte’s offensive push as of late has come from the back end. In fact, four of the team’s last seven goals have come by defensemen. The defensive corps has been red hot, including a four-game point streak from Gustav Forsling, four points from Fredrik Claesson over his last four games and a two-game point streak for Chase Priskie.

8. SMALLMAN FINDS HIS GROOVE

After scoring his first AHL goal, Spencer Smallman has caught fire. The forward has followed up that goal with assists in each of the next three contests to give him a career-best four-game point streak.

7. TUNE IN

You can tune in to every broadcast this season with a subscription to the league’s streaming platform AHLTV.

As always, the radio broadcast will be available via the Checkers app or this link, so tune in and tweet Jason Shaya to let him know you’re listening!